A family in Surrey recently got in touch because their 6-month-old baby was being fed to sleep for every nap and at bedtime and wasn’t settling in any other way. Night sleep had also become difficult, with frequent waking and the baby often needing to be fed again to get back to sleep.
The parents were exhausted and worried that feeding to sleep had become a habit they wouldn’t be able to change.
As a baby sleep consultant in Surrey, I didn’t want to look at feeding to sleep in isolation. Before making any changes, I asked the family to track their baby’s sleep so I could understand what was happening across the full 24 hours.
The data showed us something really important. It wasn’t only about how their baby was falling asleep. Their schedule and sleep pressure also needed adjusting.
When we started working together, the family was dealing with:
The parents had tried other ways of settling, but their baby wasn’t accepting them.
Feeding to sleep isn’t automatically a problem.
If it’s working for you and your baby, there’s no reason you have to stop. But for this family, it was no longer working and they wanted their baby to be able to fall asleep without relying on feeding every time.
Before changing how their baby settled, I looked closely at the sleep logs I’d collected. We looked at how much sleep their baby was actually getting in 24 hours, the timing and length of naps, bedtime, morning wake time and how much sleep pressure was building between sleeps. This gave us a much clearer understanding of what their baby actually needed.
I put together a plan based on their baby’s individual sleep needs rather than following a generic schedule for a 6-month-old. The plan included:
The aim wasn’t to simply remove feeding to sleep and hope for the best. We made sure the sleep schedule was supporting the changes we were asking their baby to make.
Within one week, sleep had changed significantly. Their baby was able to settle without being fed completely to sleep, night wakings had reduced and the family was getting much longer stretches of sleep overnight.
Bedtime was calmer and their baby was becoming increasingly comfortable settling in the cot. For the parents, one of the biggest changes was understanding their baby’s sleep better. They knew how much sleep their baby needed and how to adjust the schedule when things changed.
If you’re looking for a baby sleep consultant in Surrey because your baby is feeding to sleep, waking frequently at night or struggling to settle without your help, I can help you work out what’s actually happening with their sleep. I work with families across Surrey, including Guildford, Reigate, Redhill, Epsom, Dorking, Woking and surrounding areas.
Rather than assuming one particular sleep association is causing the problem, I look at your baby’s full 24-hour sleep pattern, their individual sleep needs, schedule and sleep pressure before deciding what needs to change.
I also work with families throughout the UK through telephone consultations.
Is feeding my baby to sleep a bad habit?
No. Feeding to sleep isn’t automatically a bad habit. If you and your baby are happy with it and sleep is working well, you don’t have to change it. It may become something you want to change if your baby relies on feeding to settle and this is contributing to sleep becoming difficult for your family.
How do I stop feeding my 6-month-old to sleep?
There isn’t one approach that suits every baby. I first look at your baby’s sleep needs and schedule before changing how they fall asleep. From there, we can gradually introduce another way of settling while still offering reassurance and support.
Why is my 6-month-old waking so much at night?
Frequent night waking can have several causes. Your baby’s schedule, daytime sleep, sleep pressure, feeding and the way they settle can all play a part. Looking at their complete sleep pattern helps identify what may be contributing.
Can a sleep consultant help my baby settle without feeding?
Yes. Sleep support can help you gradually change the way your baby falls asleep while responding to them and supporting them through that change.
Do you provide baby sleep support in Surrey?
Yes. I work with families throughout Surrey and also support families across the UK through telephone consultations and in-home support.
Could I Help With Your Baby’s Sleep?
If you’re feeding your baby to sleep for every sleep and it’s no longer working for your family, you don’t have to suddenly remove it without knowing what to do instead.
As a baby sleep consultant in Surrey, I’ll first look at your baby’s sleep as a whole, including their sleep needs, schedule and sleep pressure. From there, we can work on a plan that feels manageable for you and your baby.
Get in touch to arrange a free discovery call.
